Apparatus for automatically flushing sewers



Oct. 10, 1933. H. w. JEwr-:LL

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY FLUSHINGrV SEWERS Filed Dec. 5, 1951 Inventor llo: 5-

This invention relates.` to. .means for. flush-ing,

conduits orireceptacles, and particularly. to -ap fparatusion. automatically .Y ushing such .device s at 7:definite..predeterminedy intervals'.V

@predeterminedintervals...

Anotheriobject is to prox/idea .devieeforstorr- 4 inge water derived .fromfa ,small Aconstant .stream 10;.untilaipredetermined.amount .offwatenhas.beenLf accunnilated' v'and y'then automatically suddenly. f disehargingithe entire ,body-of .storedwaten with# out tlieuse of valves orf other. elements .involvingtheuseoffmovingpartspf metalloizotlencorrod i'. Y

lgible -Inaterial- 5 In: order to keep sewers :inlopencond'itonlt.is

necessary to discharge. through them. a [relatively large amountzof water .as comparedtotheamountf of solidfmaterial. handled byk the sewer... Insome-l cases fthe' necessary iiushing.N action? isi. produced.

by admitting a more or lessconstantgstreamlof.

Water to. thesewerat-all ti r 1 iesr., However; insome localitieswater ,is scarceancl relatively; exper'isive` and it .is. `nottfea-sible to constantly admit water..

255.1130 .thejsewersin streams of s'uicien-t'sizefto .keepy them clear."A It .has been found that. wherethef. amountf ofegwate-r.n available is .limited it. can. be., Y muon moref-.efciently utilized forliiushing- -puL--. poses-by accumulating it a Vreservoir andlthen.. gjsuddenly jdiscnarging. it through the. sewer. .t

An 1 obvious rv ray of .ushing sewersiis :to provide.. if a: reservoir intowhich.asmalLstreambf waterv is constantlyA admitted land ,then di'scha'rgin-'gvr .the

water .irons-1 the. 1'eservoir through a t:float cons without'.A morefor less frequent. attentions In a accordance.: with the` fpresent inventien. a A tank or. reservoir .is lil-led with water fromfa source of f constant l flow 4and Aisiauto'n'iatically dis::harged..v vvheneveryitfbecornesjfull';byaSiphon.VA `Siphonsi Wardly. andupwardl'y, forming.. a Usectitm,`r and oft.y courrse-,.have been/ used .before, but; a.. simpler;

I f Siphon isinoti'satisfactory gfor. discharging. water,

from va freservoir; for.k sewer` flushing. purposes` for the reason :that it l'is difficult .to .suddenlystart .ag flowI of'. water.-A in a vSiphon of:.1arge dimensions..

The essentialj'featureeof tnepresent invention ssa simpl ef-.meansv havingno moving parts, for;

suddenly starting'a Siphon intoA action inres'ponse 1ing.,.randfan.opening j167`isprovidedinitle wail .fof .tlietubular member 133.

totherisefof level ofabodyowater. l

Thepresentinvention is,an improvement on th invention disclosed and ,claimed inmyfcopendingff yapplication; Serial N o. 5317, 1351i1edAprilf 18;!1931...

shown installedlina lmanhol; .an

AToMA-TICLLY?" ff:

the.following.detaileadeseripnon.readincormeca L. ton .with. the. accompanying'.'drawing.,in Nwhich f igure.. 1,-is'fan .elevatio al vievno'fL the invention J vide' ai reservoiiaofsuitabie dimensienstohplqj 75 Siphon n8 -are all preferablyconstructedof 'fvitriid" clay orf smila1" 'watertig l1't noni-' corrodible'fmatef 90 riallland the joints between Athe`differentfsectins 'dces j satisfactory fresults- Aj small" hole 15] vof about' one-eighth inch diameter is provided.- ii'i`105,l tlieusecton. of "tube .14 as shown in ther draws* Vl'orsupplizing a; constant `small Astream of y'iv/atei j.'

zle 18 in the end thereof is brought into the manhole from a source of supply such as the usual city water system. rIhe nozzle 18 is positioned to dischargeinto the tubular member 13 5 as shown. Nozzle 18 may be of any desired construction, but I have found thatV the particular type of valve shown is imminently satisfactory. Referring to Figure 2, this nozzle comprises an outer tubular member 19 threaded at its top for connection to a pipe fitting 20, and threaded at l pend in each casel on the quantity Aof waterl ydesired to be delivered. Metering nozzles of the type described, having a verysmall aperture to deliver avery small stream ofwater, are easily clogged by any sediment 'that'may be in thewater supply, and A,I have found that a nozzle having --a'conical tip 22 asA shown, with the discharge :"aperture in the tip of the cone, is relativelyfree fromthisA trouble for the reason that any sedi` ment enteringv the nozzle body from thepipe 17 tends to settle about the base ofjthe conical plug and will not ordinarily lodge against the Jsmall discharge opening in the tip of the cone.

The device described operates as follows: l Assume, to begin with, that the lower U-section 10 of the siphon is filled with water to the Allevel indicated by the dotted line' 24 and'thatV a Vsmall trickle of water is constantly iiowing from the meteringvnozzle 18. YThis water iiows rinto the tubular member 13, which will hereafter be termedl the auxiliary reservoir. When the water ,fffills the auxiliary reservoir tothe level ofthe `apert'ure 15 it flows into the tube 14 and thereafter the level of the water in the auxiliary reservoir and thejtube 14 rises until it overflows fromv thetube 14 into the reservoir 5.

es It should be noted that the aperture 16 in the l auxiliary reservoir is positioned slightly higher than the bend 25 in tube 14 so that the level of `thewater in the auxiliary reservoir will not ordinarily rise to the level of aperture 16.

Water will continue to iiow from the nozzle lninto the auxiliary reservoir 13 and .thence out through the tube 14 into the reservoir 5, thus gradually filling the latter.A UpA .until the time when the water reaches, theV level indicated by vEline 26, the interior of the siphon 8 isin .communicationfwith the air in` the reservoir 5 through the sniff hole 27 in the member 9. Therefore the air within the siphon is at atmospheric pressure andthel level Lof the water in,l -tube section `28.will be the' Same as that in tube GlfsectionV 29, the latter being lled up to the overflow bend 25.v However, when the water level in the reservoir 5 rises above the sniff hole 27,

the air is compressed within the siphon bythe :y -hydrostatic pressure of the water in the reservoir. 'IG'This pressure gradually increases 'and forces water into the elbow 9 so that bythe time the reservoir 5 has been filled to the level indicated byv dotted line 30, the hydrostatic. pressure :created forces the water up into the elbow 9 4'5"subs'tantially to the overflow level indicated by be described separately.

dotted line 31. This rise of water into the elbow 9 compresses the air in the siphon, which pressure forces the water level inthe lower U-section down substantially to the level indicated by the dotted line 32, some water being forced out of the mouth of the elbow 10 into the sewer 2.

The increase of pressure inthe siphon 9 likewise forces the levelof the water down in `the tube section V28. The distancebetweenthe levels 24 and 32 in the siphon, and the length of section 29 arepreferably made substantially equal,

so that the water level in tube 28 is forced down almost to the bottom of this tube.

the siphon into action, continued rising of the.

water level in reservoir 5 Awould cause a slow trickle of water to flow over the rim Yof theV sec- Y tion 9 and thence outthrough the siphon. However, under'these conditions,V the main body of thel siphon 8 4comprising the tube 12 would not ll completely with water and no siphonV action the siphon action to remove most or all of the I air from the main portion of the siphon,` either would be set up. It is necessary in order to start Y* ,In accordance with the present invention, the

siphon' is set into action by suddenly discharging air from the siphon through tube1'4just before or after the water in reservoir 5 touches the discharge lend of tube 14. There are at least two ways inwhich` the Vrising water level may cause the sudden release of air from the siphon through the tubej14, and IV may utilize either or both of these modes ofV operation.` They will therefore It will be observed that when the water rises to the levell 31 in the upper siphon member 9 and forces the water level in the lower U-section 10 from level 24 down to level 32, the air in the siphon 8 is placedunder pressure and that this pressure will force the level of water in the section 28 of tube 14 below the level of the water in section 29', the upper level in the latter section being limited by the overflow at bend25. The length of tube section 29 is preferably made slightly less than the'distance between the levels 24 and 32 in the main siphon. Therefore, whenr the reservoir *has` been filled approximately to the levelf30, the water in tube section 28 will be'forced almost to the bottom of this section. A slight yadditional increase in the head vof the water in the reservoir 5 will increase the air pressure in the siphon sufficiently to' force the Water level in section `28below the bend into section 29. Itv will be seen that the upper end of the water column in tube section 29 cannot become higher than the bend 25. Therefore, after all the water is forced out of section 28 into Y29the height of the water column in section 29 is reduced below that necessary to counterbalance the air pressure in the siphon. This results inthe water column Vin tube section 29 being suddenly discharged over the bend 25, permitting the air to rush fromthe siphon 8' out through tube 14, being discharged from the end of tube 14 and also throughthe'aperture 15. This sudden release of the air in the'siphon permits a sudden rush of water from the reservoir 5 into the siphoi and this rush of water carries any'remaining air message the v"siphon action has started and the pressure is; reducedbelow atmospheric, for: the reasonthat out of thesiphon into-the sewer' 2,"`thus'flllingthe siphon With-Water, which thereafterquickly emptiesv the reservoir by its Siphon action;

In the second mode of operation; the discharge of 'Water in section 29 of'tube v14fis produced by setting'up a Siphon action in theend section V33 ofv the'tubev 14 when the surface of .the v'water in reservoir .5 rises and contacts withf'the end ofthe tube. Ordinarily, Water admitted through the metering nozzle18 into the auxiliary reservoir 13 flows slowly through the aperture '15 inf-tube seetion 29 and thence over the bend'25 and downthrough tube section 33 Where it discharges into the main reservoir.. This flow of water over the bend 2.5 is of insuicient volume to ll the tube" sectionl 33,-but merely trickles throughl the tube.

Because of the fact that tube section 33 is not' completely lled with' `water,`no siphon action is produced. However, I havef'found thatwith the proper ratios of water flow to the diameter of tube 14, when thelevel of Athefwater in fthe'.v

main reservoir 5 rises to and seals theendef, tube 14, it, for some reason, operates to discharge v the column of kwater in ltube section 29, thus per-k l mitting the discharge of air from Ythe siphon'as previously described. Tlriereason for this discharge taking placewhen, and only When,fthe lower end of the tube 14- is sealed by the rising l water level in thefreservoir 5, is not clearlyun-` derstood by me. vIt may-be that the'water trick-V vling down section 33 of tube14 entraps' and carries with it some air, this air returning to the tube after the passage offwater globule so long l as-v the end of .the tube is open, thus' preventing Aany, material reduction of the pressure in the tube 14 at bend 25. However, it may be that Vwhenv the end ofthe tube is sealed .by the'rising/W'ater level in -the -reservoir-5, Yit `is impossible for air to return-after leaVin'g-thetube, and as a result the air is partiallyvor completely exhausted from the vtube 'which is then sulicientlysealedwith water to. set up the siphon action. `Whatever the :theory of operation', I h avevfound by repeated tests'that. with certain determined'ratios of`vol.

urne of Water flow to' the diameter of tube 14, thaithev discharge will unfailingly 'occur' at or shortlyafter thetimeat which ther rising. water level in reservoir 5 seals the end of thejtube even though theair. pressure in the main si'ph'on 9; is

jbyfits'elf not sufficient .to 'discharge :the `water from tube section 29.v f

' After the main siphon 8 has been setinto action by the discharge 'of thelair therefr'omithrou'gh tube 14, it rapidly siphons the` Water lfronrtlrie' reservoir 5 into-the sewer 2 until the level offthe water in the reservoir :drops to the sniff holeQ2? inthe upper siphorif-section 9; `-As soonas the level drops below the sniff hole 27, air is admitted therethrough into the Siphon, Whichair displaces the water in the siphon andstops the sipho'n'ac` tion. `The small snii hole 2'7 however stops the .Siphon actionfgraduallm'so that 4the lower' U-'sec-'- tion 10 is left lled-With Ywater" tothe level 24'.

This leaves the-entire device in thecondition de- Aes " air cannot freely return through this tube afterV scribed at the commencement of. its operatiohpso thatthe reservoir `5 is againiilled by the trickle" of water from the metering nozzle .'18 which falls into the auxiliary reservoir 13, Yflows through the aperturel into thel tube 14 and thence out over the bend 25 and through the `discharge'section n is important to .note that kaiuiough lat the' the auxiliary reservoir 13 is filled With Water.` to the level of the bend 25"'andthis Water flows through the aperture l5finto the tube V14, thus at insunicient lto empty the 'auxiliary reservoir 13,

.through the 'aperture 15.

lAlthoughthe proportions of the flushingfsystem may be varied to lit varying needs I have found that a Asystem operates` with perfect satisfaction inwhich the reservoir 5 has a vcapacityof about 300 gallons, theysiphon `8 isjabout'eight inches in diametenthe distance between levels- 2 4 vand 32 is about twelve inches, the length of tube section 29 is ten inches, the'di'stance from apertube '14 is halfi an inch, andl .the discharge end of tube 14 ispositionedabout twelve inches above the overflowlevel 31l of .the upper be'ndB; Since.thesiphon isis'etinto'actionin response voir to a predetermined height, the frequency' ot discharge of the device may be Varied by changing therate of admission of water to the reservoir through the metering nozzle 18. i The rate of W through'the metering valve may be readily altered by using'plugs 2 1 having apertures 22 yof different desired siz es l v Y The--iiushing system. described is practical. be-V Vcause it-has no mechanically :moving parts and can be constructed? of cheap materials that-are resistive to corrosion. and theoperation ofwhichl will not be Yinterfered with 1 the `gases d to nwhich all sewersare more or less exposed.` f Q In actual `service the system has been `found periods of time.A Various modicationsn of the system described above in connection'vvithligure 1 maybe made;

One possible modicationhas been illustrated' 'to function regularly k without'fail over long in` Figure, ingwhic'h the .structure of thejentire Y' device is'exactly thesamelas disclosed in Figure'l, except that the single tube 14 has been'elirninated andxtwoseparate -tubes 57v and 39 substituted therefor The parts ofV the structure disclosedin Figure3,that are the same asA those of ligurefl;V are disignatedwith the same reference numerals f `v,; "m.'13l0 `The embodiment disclosed in Figure 3, operates withvthe Aaddition of the suilix a.'

:Water trickles from a metering valve, not

shown, into the fopenftubularmember 13a, until.

the latter is filled lto 'the level, ofA Jthebenfzlin` tube 37., after vwhich it Ytrickles out through tube Vto the rise ofthe water level in the main 'reser-j iis 37 precisely as described in connection'with. Figure 1. While thejmain reservoir 5 is. empty the pressure in the siplio'n- 9a 'is substantially atmospheric andiwater'therefore risesl'inA section 40 of `tube .3S-to the level of the water in the tubular/member 13a, which, ofcourse, is. 'deter v z nined byfthe'height of the-'bendY in the discharge" tube 3'7. However, as the "reservoir''iills' and` vthe air Vis compressedin the Siphon 9a, the level- `offthewater in'section 140 is! forced lower and vlower I Intilat theA time the leveliof .the water in reservoir5-has risen to the discharge'end of tube r Y 3'?, practically. all the water has been-forcedou't ofsectiong'it)..-`` lit'isv therefore apparent'th'atthe if" When vthe water level in reservoir 5 nally rises to `and Seals the end of siphon''l it sets the latter into operation precisely `as explainedv in connection with Figure l. Siphon 37 therefore rapidly vremoves water from the tubular member 13a and soon reduces the head of the water above the lower end of section/l0 to a value insucient to counterbalance the pres-- sure in the Siphon 9a. The air in the Siphon 9a is thereupon immediatelyand quickly discharged therefrom through tube 39, thus setting the Siphon into action precisely as` described in Figure 1. n. Y

YI claim: l

1. A flushing devicecomprising a reservoir, a Siphon conduit connecting said reservoir with the container to be flushed, Said Siphon having its highest point below the top ofl said reservoir and having an upwardly extending return bend at its discharge end, the height of Said return bend'being so proportioned that the weight of a column of water therein'prevents flow of water through Said Siphon until the water in said reservoir reaches a predetermined height above the highest part of said Siphon,ra tube connecting to and extending from the upper portion of Said Siphon, into said reservoir, said tubehaving a portion extending upwardly, then downwardly, then upwardly and again downwardly, and dis charging intro said reservoir approximately at said predetermined level, a container positioned about a portion of said tube comprising' at least said last upwardly extending portion, an aperture in the wall of said'last-upwardly extending portion, and meansy for supplying water to Said container, the length of said last upwardly` extending portion beingV approximately equal to the height of said return bend at the vdischarge end of said Siphon.

2. A flushing devicecomprising a reservoir, a Siphon conduit connecting said reservoir with a container to be flushed, said Siphon having its highest point below the top of said reservoir, and having an upwardly extending Vreturn bend; at

its discharge end, the'height of said return bendv being so proportioned that the'weight of a' column' of *water therein prevents flow of water through said Siphon until the water in Said reservoir reaches a predetermined heightv above the highest part oi" said Siphon, an auxiliary reservoir, an auxiliary Siphon connecting said'auxiliary reservoir withsaid first reservoir and serving as an overow from the auxiliary reservoir to said first reservoir, the outlet end of said auxliliary Siphon projecting downwardly linto said main reservoir and being positioned approximate` ly at said predeterrninedheight,V a conduit connecting the upper part or said Siphon with said auxiliary reservoir and extending downwardly into said auxiliary reservoir a distance below the overflow level therein approximately equal to the height of said return bend at Ythe discharge end of said Siphon, means for supplying water to said auxiliary reservoir at a predetermined rate of iow whereby water overfiowsirom said auxiliary reservoir through said auxiliaryV Siphon into said reservoir, the diameter oi said auxiliary Siphon beingV so proportioned. relative to the rate at whichwateroverflows therethrough` that SiphonV action is set up in said auxiliary Siphon .when and only when 'the vwater in said reservoir rises to and seals the outlet end of said Siphon, saidk tube having ya rst section extendfv ing upwardly from said Siphon, a second Section extending downwardly, a third Section extending upwardly, and a fourth section extendingdownwardlyand Adischarging into said reservoir ap-.I proximately Yat Said predetermined level,l vand means for admittingwater to said tube at a pointv between said-first and fourth sections at a Dedetermined rate.

ll. Flushing means means for Supplying water thereto, a Siphon con--V duit connecting Said reservoir with a container to be -hushed, said Siphon having an upwardly lextending return bendy at its discharge end, the

height of Saidreturn bend being Such that the weightof a column of watertherein prevents flow of waterVV through said Siphonuntil the water'in Said reservoir reaches a predeterminedv height, and meansior suddenlyreleasing air from said siphon'inV response to the llingof said reservoir approximately to said predetermined height, whereby said Siphon `Suddenly iillswithwater from said reservoir and` thereafter Siphons the water from-said reservoir, Said means fior sud,-V denly releasingV air fromrsaidsiphon comprising containing VVmeans forl containing `a column of water of `.a predetermined maximumzheight, the means beyond the upper end of the water column being open, andthe means beyond the lower end of the waterV column being connectedto the upper part of, Said Siphon-,f and means other than Said Siphon conduit for continuously Supplying water to saidA containing means toproducesaid watercolumn therein,V

5. Flushing means comprising ,-a reservoir, means for supplying water thereto, a Siphon conduit connecting said reservoir witha container 'to be flushed, Said Siphon having an upwardly extending return bendatwits discharge end,.the height of said return bend being Such thatffthe weight ofl a column Vof water thereinprevents flow i approI/iimatelyY tov said predetermined height whereby said Siphon suddenly. `,lills with water from said reservoir and thereafter siphons'the water from Said reservoir, saidmeans for Suddenf fcomprising a reservoir,v

ly releasing air from Said Siphon comprising a tube adapted to contain a column of water of predetermined limited maximum height, the; tube beyond Y the upper' end of the water columnbeingopen and directed downward within said reservoir, the

tube beyond the Alower end of the Vwater column beingoonnected to the upper part or" said Siphon,

and means for supplying water to saidftube to produce saidwater column, thedownwardly extending end of Saidopen tubebeingvpositioned substantially at theupper level o water in Said reservoir., f y i 6. Aushingdevice comprising a reservoir,l a

siphon conduit connecting said reservoir with the container to'be flushed, said siphon having an Y of said Siphon, said tube having a portion VeX- tending upwardly, then downwardly,y then upwardly',l and'bei'ng open at the end beyond said last upwardly extending portion, a container positioned aboutA a portion of said tube comprising at least said last upwardly extending portion, an

aperture in the Wall of said last upwardly extending portion, and means for continuously supplying` water to said"container whereby water is continuouslyv supplied to said tube through said aperture.

' HOWARD W.l JEWELL. 

